Friday , March 29 2024

Blues

Music Review: Rhiannon Giddens – ‘Freedom Highway’

'Freedom Highway' from Rhiannon Giddens is one of those amazing rarities, a politically charged and artistically refined album. The music is spectacular, the lyrics are beautiful and inspiring, and the singing is as glorious as you'll hear anywhere.

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Charlie Doherty’s Top Tunes of 2016 (Feat. Dinosaur Jr, Bon Iver, Anderson .Paak, Mitski, DJ Snake, Switchtense, Joe Bonamassa, and More)

These are in no particular order, except for this first one, my vote for song of 2016, at least for guitar. After listening to Joe Bonamassa's blistering, searing solo, you will not forget it anytime soon.

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Charlie Doherty’s Top Releases of 2016 (Starring Joe Bonamassa, Metallica, Deftones, Sturgill Simpson, David Bowie, and More)

As for the music of 2016, there was the usual amount of "meh" mixed in with a host of impressive releases. Certainly, there were no game-changers that I heard. (Sorry Kanye and Kendrick.)

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Music Review: Ruby Friedman Orchestra – ‘Gem’

'Gem' by the Ruby Friedman Orchestra is a time portal back to the early days of blues but run through a modern-day filter of Friedman’s own experiences. Trust me, you’ve never heard anything like this. It’ll sneak under your skin, and you’ll want to keep it there.

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Music Review: Jethro Tull – ‘Stand Up: The Elevated Edition’

Much of Jethro Tull's second album still stands up, so to speak. The bright nasality of the hyperactive mandolin on "Fat Man," the blues-rock/progressive fusion of "Nothing is Easy," and the dark psychedelia of "We Used to Know" are all of their time, yet in the new mixes they leap urgently from the speakers. A 1969 Stockholm concert and a booklet packed with reminiscences and commentary help make this new edition something Tull fans will value.

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Music Review: Chris Robinson Brotherhood – ‘If You Lived Here, You Would Be Home by Now’ EP

Over the past five years, these guys – Chris Robinson and Neal Casal – have managed to build a sound and a feeling in their music that I wasn’t even aware I’d been craving...

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